Over the past few weeks internet users have been bombarded with emails about a change in social media’s so-called “privacy terms”.

This is part of an upcoming European law that aims to give people more control over the information they store online and in the hands of big companies.

The law is called the General Data Protection Regulation and will put restrictions on everyone from Facebook to your local post office ​on how they handle your information and what they can do with it.

​The law comes into effect on Friday and here’s ​everything you need to know about it.

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​1: It is the biggest change in digital privacy laws since the internet got a kickstart back in the​ late 90s.

2: It all started in 2013 with ​the disclosures by former US government employee Edward Snowden. He revealed the National Security Agency ​collected information on people by working with big internet and mobile network companies. For more information, watch the ​documentary film Citizenfour.

3: Among other things,​ the law aims to stop ​companies from using the information provided to them to generate targeted advertisements without​ users’ knowledge. Targeted ads are customised to have a bigger impact ​on people based on their age, gender and location.

4: The most affected by this law will be big social media companies like Facebook, who used to share information between their global operations. This is no longer allowed as information on European users must remain inside the EU.

5: Information covered includes names, addresses, photos, bank details and social media posts or texts. Basically, anything that can be used to identify you is to be stored with the highest degree of confidentiality and cannot be shared under any circumstances.

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6: You can ask any company with your personal information to have access to it and to have it deleted at your request. Under the law, the company must comply. This is a new aspect of the law called the right to be forgotten.

7: The legislation also affects you as a data holder. If you hold someone else’s private or personal details, you have an obligation to store it and never disclose it without the subject’s permission.

8: The law will cover all European citizens. This means even if your information is held by a foreign company or if you find yourself outside of the EU, the same rules still apply.

9: Even though the UK will leave the EU this time next year, existing laws will remain in effect there and will continue to be in effect thereafter.

10: The law will officially come into effect on Friday. This means the horde of emails flooding people’s inboxes are a result of companies scurrying to comply. If you suspect anybody of violating any of the regulations you are urged to contact the Data Protection Commissioner.